The subject matter herein relates generally to a transceiver assembly, and more particularly, to a receptacle connector for use in a transceiver assembly.
Various types of fiber optic and copper based transceiver assemblies that permit communication between electronic host equipment and external devices are known. These transceiver assemblies typically include a module assembly that can be pluggably connected to a receptacle in the host equipment to provide flexibility in system configuration. The module assemblies are constructed according to various standards for size and compatibility, one standard being the Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) module standard.
The SFP module is plugged into a receptacle assembly that is mounted on a circuit board within the host equipment. The receptacle assembly includes an elongated guide frame, or cage, having a front that is open to an interior space, and an electrical connector disposed at a rear of the cage within the interior space. Both the connector and the guide frame are electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit board, and when an SFP module is plugged into the receptacle assembly, the SFP module is electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit board as well. Conventional SFP modules and receptacle assemblies perform satisfactorily carrying data signals at rates up to 2.5 gigabits per second (Gbps).
Another pluggable module standard, the XFP standard, calls for the transceiver module to carry data signals at rates up to 10 Gpbs. Transmission of data signals at such a high rate compared to SFP modules raises problems not experienced previously in SFP modules. For example, conventional contact configurations of the electrical connector at the rear of the receptacle are inadequate for transmitting the data signals at the desired transmission rates. Electrical parameters such as impedance, crosstalk, skew and jitter are negatively impacted by the conventional design of the electrical connector. While steps have been taken to solve the signal integrity issues caused by 10 Gpbs signals, particularly where there is only one transmit and one receive signal, problems still remain with maintaining signal integrity. For example, there is presently in development by an Industry Group, IEEE P802.3ba “10 Gbps and 100 Gbps Ethernet Task Force”, that transmits and receives multiple 10 Gpbs signals in a parallel configuration. Systems utilizing the parallel configuration have problems maintaining signal integrity. It would be desirable to provide an electrical connector for the receptacle assembly that exhibits good electrical characteristics at high data transmission rates. It would be desirable to provide an interface that exhibits good electrical characteristics in systems that transmit and receive multiple 10 Gpbs signals in a parallel configuration.